Monday, May 10, 2010

First off, if you have a few minutes, please click here to hear my appearance on Fox Sports Radio last night.

A while back, my mother informed me that actress Kym Whitley used to babysit me back when we lived in Cleveland. My mother was teaching at Shaker Heights High School at the time, and Kym was one of her students. I wish I could say that I remember her babysitting me, but I do not.

Yesterday, my mother and I were talking about mother's day and various topics, and Kym's name came up again in passing. But between playoff basketball and me being knee-deep in The Wire, I didn't think twice about that conversation once I hung up with my mother. Then, while I was watching basketball, I saw this T-Mobile commercial (she's at the 5 second mark) for the millionth time, and then I decided to do a little investigation. I found her website, found an email address, and I told her who my mother was, and that she used to babysit me. Two seconds later, I received an email that said, "Thank you for emailing Kym Whitley's fan club, she's very busy and doesn't get to all her emails." Fair enough.

This morning, when I got back from swimming, I casually checked my emails via my T-Mobile phone, and I saw that Kym had sent me a return email--from her personal account no less. She did indeed remember both my mother and me, and she asked me to find her on facebook and befriend her. Just a few minutes ago, I called my mother and told her all about it, and she was just happy, and going on and on about Kym-related memories. My mother gets a big kick out hearing about her former students, whether they are from her high school teaching days or her years at teaching at various universities. It is just a reminder to me (and maybe to you) how much little things go a long way..especially with old(er) people.

And finally, the following conversation happened to me while I was in the Starbucks.

Starbucks man: Isn't it sad that Lena Horne died?Me: Its not really sad, she was 92Starbucks man: Its sad to meMe: Before today, had you thought about her?Starbucks man: Come to think of it I haveMe (realizing I was being insensitive): I'm not trying to be insensitive man. When someone dies at age 50, that's sad to me. When someone dies at 92, and I'm not related to them, its more of a celebration or an appreciation, but its not sadStarbucks man: I guess so.

I came away from the conversation feeling pretty bad (I'm over it now), but I stand by what I said. I just saw Lena Horne on a Different World rerun last week and I wondered if a)she was still alive and b)what she was up to. The last time she was regularly on tv, is when she was doing the Crest commercials. So when I heard of her death late last night, I just started looking up old clips of her and I just admired her work. But there was no need for sadness.

Man I am all over the place today. Oh and one more thing, I neglected to include this link of me and my main man Ryan talking NBA playoffs.

Not until this second did I realize that her and Jackée Harry were two different people. Was about to talk about how I loved her on 227 and Amen when I was little. Guess not. I still like her though.And I feel you on old people dying, not sad. Sad when people die before their time. Might be sad if they died in excruciating pain or in some abnormal way, but not if they die of natural causes.